Chains I Break
by Katria Bloom
Summary: Sometimes Harry Potter would look over his desk at his partner and wonder how the hell he had gotten stuck with Draco Malfoy, of all people. Then Malfoy would look up at him, give him a glare to end all glares and Harry would look back down at his desk.
1. Part 1

Sometimes Harry Potter would look over his desk at his partner and wonder how the hell he had gotten stuck with Draco Malfoy, of all people. Then Malfoy would look up at him, give him a glare to end all glares and Harry would look back down at his desk.

This whole process would happen once, sometimes twice a day, depending on not only Harry's mood, but the weather as well. He could tell that it annoyed Malfoy to no end, but he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he spent his days with _Malfoy_.

Malfoy stood, pulling his cloak from a hook on the wall. "I'm leaving Potter," he said as he pulled it on. "Are you doing anything after this?"

"Why?" Harry was quick to ask. "As many times as Malfoy had saved his arse on missions, as well as he saving Malfoy's, he still didn't entirely trust him. Plus, there was the whole Death Eater thing. He was fairly sure that Malfoy had spent some time in Azkaban. This was purely speculation.

"Because I've promised several people that I'm going to kill you, and I want to be sure that you're free," Malfoy said flatly before rolling his eyes. "I want to get totally pissed, and you appear to need a good pint as much as me. I'm extending a hand of hospitality. Salazar knows why."

Harry slowly stood, his eyes narrowed. "Sure, why not," he said before fetching his own cloak. "Where to?" he asked, still eyeing Malfoy carefully.

"There's a pub around the corner," Malfoy replied as he fastened the clasp of his robes. "It's named after a strange animal head, I think."

Harry nodded slowly, brushing past him. "Come on, then."

Malfoy shrugged and locked up the office.

* * *

If Harry had only known that getting totally off his tits with Malfoy was all it took to become his friend, well…he wouldn't have done it any sooner, but he may have thought about it.

Malfoy collapsed onto the bar in a fit of silent giggles as Harry tried no to snort. It didn't work.

"'Snot funny, Mal-Mal-…_you._ It was hum…humil…hor'ble. It was wet and…wet. Hasn't been much snogging since, 'scept that one time with…with Ginny…but that was an acc…an acci…not on purpose."

Malfoy lifted his head from the bar, his eyes wet from laughter. "That's fantastic! My first kiss was so much better than yours. I forced a Muggle into kissing me at a shop in London once."

"Of course you did," Harry said with another swig of his pint. "How did that work out for you?"

Malfoy crossed his legs and shrugged. "I seemed to enjoy it much more than he did."

"It was a bloke? Your first kiss was with a bloke?"

Malfoy nodded as he polished off his drink. "As well as many afterwards."

Harry pushed his hair back off his forehead, crossing his arms and leaning against the bar. "I didn't know you were…you know…one of them."

"I'm not, just sometimes," Malfoy replied as he pulled a few notes from his pocket, tossing them onto the counter. He stood with a stretch. "It's been an enlightening evening. You think you can make it home alright?"

Harry nodded with a yawn. "Yeah, I'll be fi…good. Thanks for this. Haven't been out much lately, since…since Hon and Rermione left."

Malfoy chuckled and shook his head. "Go home and go to sleep, Potter."

And after a few brief stops to regain balance and to be sick, Potter did.

* * *

I'm surprised you made it through the night," Malfoy Draco said as Harry staggered in the next morning, looking more like an Inferi than a person. "Though I must say I'll be surprised if you make it through the day."

"Are you not bloody hung over?" Harry groaned as he very nearly crawled onto his desk. A new sort of hate was brewing in his head.

"I have a high tolerance for alcohol," Draco responded. "It's safe to say you don't."

Harry only groaned in response, using a stack of paperwork as a pillow. A woefully inadequate pillow.

As the day wore on his head finally decided to stop trying to implode after many snaps at Malfoy Draco to stop writing so bloody loud.

"So Potter," he said when Harry had told him it was alright to speak, "what are your plans tonight? I was thinking…"

"No," Harry replied firmly. "I'm not getting pissed with you again tonight. One time a week is plenty for me, thanks."

"So glad you don't have a drinking problem," Malfoy Draco said with an eye roll. "I was going to invite you over for a bit of supper, but if you'd rather drink yourself into a stupor all alone than by all means, do so."

Harry raised one eyebrow in a very Malfoy Manor (he was quite proud of both his ability and his pun), and sighed. "Yeah, alright. Anything's better than leftover takeout."

"You're unusually pathetic," Malfoy Draco said with a slight shake of the head. "You know where the Manor is still, I presume?"

Harry cringed at the memory of destroying the last Horcrux there and nodded, wondering how in rudding hell Malfoy Draco could still stand to live there. "Yeah, I seem to vaguely recall."

"Excellent," Malfoy Draco replied with a nod as he gathered his things. "I'll see you at half-eight."

Harry nodded as Malfoy Draco left, pretending he wasn't watching him do so.

* * *

"Ah, come in," Draco said as he stepped aside, leading him back through the dark, cavernous Manor.

"You live in the dark?" Harry asked, his voice echoing hollowly.

Draco's laugh reverberated as he turned toward Harry. "I don't live in that bit," he said as they entered the kitchen. "Just the back bit."

"Makes sense," Harry replied, shrugging off his coat. "It's too big of a house to live in all alone."

"Plus they took all my shit away and I'm not been on refurnishing this entire place," Draco said softly as he returned to the pot of white sauce he had bubbling over the stove, ladling it over some sort of large pasta laid out in a pan bound for the oven. "Could you pass me that cheese, Potter?" he asked, motioning to a board of grated cheese by Harry's elbow.

"Of course," Harry replied, carrying it over to him. "What are you making, exactly?"

Draco laughed as he sprinkled the cheese over it before sliding it into the oven. "Even if I told you, you would neither know what it was nor remember later."

"You know me better than I thought you did," Harry admitted with a chuckle. "It smells fantastic."

Draco leaned against the counter. "It is. Would you like something to drink? I've got beer, wine…"

"You want me drunk again, don't you? I'll start with water, thanks."

"You're no fun," Draco said as he pulled a glass out of the cupboard, opening his icebox and grabbing a handful of ice.

Harry crossed his arms and watched him pour the water, carefully tossing a lock of hair out of his eyes with a flick of his head. His eyes began to trail down his neck when Draco turned around; causing Harry to snap his eyes up to Draco's and smile. "Thanks," Harry said as he took the glass, taking a sip before sitting down at the bar."

"So what's with you?" Draco asked as he poured himself a glad of red wine. "Did you just decide to become a hermit when your mates decided of faff off to Scotland? Doesn't seem too awfully far for a visit."

"I hate to bother them," Harry said, staring down into his water. "They're doing their own thing now and I don't want to be a nuisance."

"Yes, but they are your friends," Draco argued. "Surely they miss you."

Harry muttered something unintelligible, and took another drink of his water. "How long does your mystery pasta have to cook, exactly?"

"Dodging the subject," Draco chided. "Not a good sign at all. It's got a while more, now spill. Do you feel left out of the love fest?"

"Of course not," Harry scoffed. "I just…give me some wine, will you?" As Draco set off to do this, Harry continued. "What makes you a bloody therapist all of a sudden? It's just…it's been Ron and I for so long; no it's Ron and Hermione. I'm supposed to find me a Hermione, and until I do I won't quite fit in with them. I'm not even…thanks," he took the glass from Draco, "Not even sure if I want a Hermione."

Draco nodded with a slight shrug. "I understand, I suppose. I do believe one Granger in this world is quite enough. Now, if you don't mind carrying yourself into the dining room, dinner is ready."

Harry nodded as he snatched up his and Draco's wine glasses just as Draco opened up the oven to extract the pasta.

Draco quickly followed with the plated dishes, dropping one in front of Harry before sitting down with his own.

"Mystery pasta is good," Harry said with a nod. "It's got stuff…err…_stuffed_ in it."

Draco at least had the decency to duck his head to hide his laughter. "Eloquent as ever," he choked out, his shoulders still shaking in silent mirth. Once he had regained control he said, "Spinach and ricotta cheese, if you must know."

"It's good," Harry repeated, a bit defensively. "You don't have to make fun of me. I'm sorry I'm not as skinned in the culinary arts as you."

"Come now Potter, where else am I to get my jollies if I can't poke fun at you?" he asked before taking a bite.

Harry stared at his place for a moment before muttering. "It's called a hobby. Something fun, like knitting or breeding Kneazles, or…other things that are meant to be fun."

"I'll keep that in mind," Draco said in that infuriating amused tone of his.

A long moment passed of comfortable silence, the only sound between them the gently click of flatware on plates. Harry slyly watched Draco's hand abandon his fork in favour of his glass and he, as much as he hated to, watched his nimble fingers wrap around it to bring it up to waiting lips. It was only when Harry caught himself staring rather pointedly at said lips did he look away, trying his best to fight the blush threatening to rise up his neck.

He quickly stuffed a bite into his mouth, chewing carefully. Of course, Draco chose that time to ask him a question. "What did you think when you found out you'd been partnered with me?"

Harry struggled to swallow. "I…well…obscenities mostly. I figured that I'd be dead by now." Draco snorted, but didn't say anything. "Why? What did you think?"

Draco carefully lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Honestly? That I'd been given a second chance. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced of that fact. If anyone were to be the partner of a Death Eater, it would be Harry Potter."

"So you were," Harry said, his tone cold. "A Death Eater."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Draco responded with the bloody infuriating smirk. "I'm surprised you haven't found an excuse to look at my arm yet, actually. I'll let you see, you only have to ask."

The question was on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't find it in himself to ask. Finally he shook his head minutely. Draco shrugged and returned to his meal.

A new question rose in Harry's mind, and this one he asked. "A second chance for what? Redemption?"

Draco raised his eyes and held Harry's gaze for so long that the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. Harry was just about to avert his gaze when Draco lowered his to his glass. "No," he said in a tone that Harry could tell was forced.

"Then what?" he pressed, not even sure if he wanted to know the answer.

He waited for Draco to finish his drink, his hands folded awkwardly in his lap. His gaze was back again, heavy and full of a question that he couldn't decipher. Finally Draco shrugged and said, "You."

Harry forgot to breathe for half of a second. Then another half. What…what did he…?

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but another voice sounded.

"Draco, love, are you here?"

"In the dining room," Draco called, picking his fork back up.

Harry looked up to the door as a woman who looked vaguely familiar came into the room. He watched as Draco stood, dropping a kiss to her temple. "There's some food left in the kitchen, if you're interested. Potter and I were just discussing my career choice."

Harry snapped his mouth shut as both sets of their eyes fell on him. "Yes, well…"

"It's nice to see you again, Harry," the woman said with a smile so genuine it hurt. "Draco's always talking about you. You probably don't remember me, but I was in Ravenclaw."

"Mandy," Harry replied breathlessly. "Mandy Brocklehurst. I remember you."

She smiled again before returning her attention back to Draco. "If you don't mind I'll definitely grab a plate. I'm starved."

"Don't mind at all," Draco said, his eyes bright as she dropped a kiss onto his lips.

Harry forgot to breathe again.

* * *


	2. Part 2

He hadn't known. He'd been working with Malfoy for months and he hadn't known…_hadn't known_ that he had a girlfriend. There wasn't a picture, he never talked of her, but yet there she had been, kissing him and eating his food and coming into his house without knocking.

He didn't know why he felt so betrayed by the realization. It's not like they were _friends_. They were just partners. At work. Personal and professional are different. He didn't share his entire life with Malfoy, why should he expect him to do the same?

Except that he did. He had told Malfoy everything.

Stupid.

He was reshuffling the papers on his desk for the seventeenth time when Malfoy came in, looking no worse for the wear than he usually did. He removed his cloak, hung it up, and went over to his desk, sitting down with a sigh. Harry could feel his eyes on him and he pointedly kept his gaze down, even if he wasn't seeing anything.

"Listen, Potter," Malfoy began, and Harry flinched. "I'm sorry about last night. I had no idea she was coming. I had meant for it to just be you and me, obviously. I'm sorry if she made you uncomfortable."

"No, of course she didn't," Harry replied. "I was just…tired."

"I know how you feel about the whole 'third wheel' thing," Malfoy pressed. "I honestly didn't mean to put you in that situation."

Harry shrugged. "Used to it."

"Potter…"

With a sigh Harry finally looked up, catching Malfoy's eye and trying his best not to look pleading. "It's fine. Just…forget it, alright? Don't worry about it. I'll live, I promise."

Malfoy huffed, his eyes narrowed. He didn't argue, however. Instead he set to work on the paperwork that needed to be done before their mission that afternoon. He was hoping that it took much longer than absolutely necessary to finish it.

It wasn't until Malfoy tossed his set of Auror robes at him that he sighed, laying down his quill. "Come on then, this raid isn't going to conduct itself," he said as he himself began to pull on his own uniform.

Harry dressed quickly, sliding his wand into the leather holster around his waist before looking to Draco, who looked annoyed with him for some reason.

"Buck up Potter," he snapped before billowing out of the office in a very Snape-like way. Any other day Harry would have been impressed.

* * *

Looking back at the course of events leading up to the incident, Harry was more than willing to accept the fact that he wasn't paying attention. Upon further examination, he probably should have been. 

He was rifling through a bookshelf, fingering each of the cracked and faded spines and listening to Malfoy wrestle with what sounded to be a flying carpet in the next room. He finally heard him pant 'Incendio', and he quickly pulled a book from the shelf, pretending to be looking for hidden Dark spells.

If he hadn't been pretending, he would have probably realized before opening the book that he had, indeed, found a Dark spell. He watched as the pages began to bubble and fizz and before he had time to process what was happening, the skin on his hands began to melt away. He screamed and tried to throw the book, but it seemed fused to his skin.

Thundering footsteps approached and Malfoy appeared in the doorway, eyes wide as he took in the scene. In a split second he rushed over, trying spell after spell to release Harry of the book but finding none to work.

By this time Harry had gone hoarse from the screaming, collapsing to the floor and shaking. "Damn it Potter, you're going into shock," Malfoy snapped before climbing on top of him, trying to hold him still. He studied Harry's hands for a moment before knitting his brows together.

"Hurts," Harry croaked as a cold sheen of sweat covered his brow.

"No shit." Draco slid his wand back into his holster and bit his lip, finally coming to a decision. "I'm…I'm going to have to pull the book off."

Harry only whimpered as he looked down. He fancied he could see his own metacarpals. "I'll just do the same thing to…to…"

"Shut up Potter," Malfoy hissed. "And hold still."

With shaking hands Malfoy reached down for the book and tugged.

* * *

"So you know, you're probably the stupidest person I've ever had the pleasure to meet," Malfoy said lightly as he studied the white bandages on his hands. 

"Stop talking to me Malfoy," Harry groaned. "I'm trying to enter a recuperative sleep, and you won't let me."

Said man only shrugged. "You don't deserve it. And Potter, this is the one-hundred and fiftieth time I've saved you. I think that warrants a 'Draco' on your part."

"You keep track?" Harry rasped. "That's ridiculous!"

Malfoy shrugged. "Just count yourself lucky that I have been there to save your arse. Imagine, you would be dead one-hundred and fifty times over if not for me."

"Git," Harry muttered as he attempted to scratch his nose with a hand that closely resembled a cotton swab.

"My name is Draco."

"Mine's Harry."

Harry's eyes were closed as Draco studied him briefly. "Fine. Harry."

"Alright Draco," Harry replied through a yawn. "Will you please let me sleep now?"

Draco laughed as he attempted to pull up his blanket without any fingers available. "Fine, sleep away."

And he did.

* * *

Harry awoke slowly, hearing a soft conversation between Draco and a nurse, he assumed. He lay there with his eyes closed, pretending to still be asleep. 

"Mr. Malfoy, I can't just…"

Draco was still whispering, but he sounded annoyed. "Just…tell her I'm asleep. I don't want her to come in here, screeching and crying and wake up Harry. I'll be out of here soon enough. Just…tell her I'm asleep and should get my rest."

"Make me out to be the bad guy, you mean?"

There was a rustling of fabric. "You never know, Harry may have a sudden relapse if forced to wake up. Then who would _really_ be the bad guy? Endangering the lives of patients? Honestly…"

"Fine."

"There's a good girl," Draco replied as the nurse left in a huff. Harry took this time to slowly open his eyes, yawning for effect.

"Ah, so you've decided to re-enter the world of the living?" Draco asked as he climbed out of his bed, stretching before coming over to drop down in the chair beside Harry's bed. "Did your recuperative sleep do you any good?"

Harry groaned, lifting his hands. "My hands aren't pulsing with intense, burning pain anymore. I think that's a step in the right direction."

Draco snorted as he propped his feet up on Harry's bed. "The nurse is going to come and change our bandages in a bit. I'm sure the pulsating pain will return then. You have a lot to look forward to, I'd venture."

Harry didn't reply, just sat studying his bandages. Draco sighed as he did the same with his own. After a long moment of silence Draco stood with a huff, returning to his own bed. "Harry, you realize you're acting like I slowly tortured your owl in front of you, right? To be frank I'm not even sure what I did to make you mad at me."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not mad at you. I have no reason to be."

"That's what I thought," Draco argued. "It doesn't change the fact that you are, though."

Harry sighed. "I'm not mad at you, I promise."

Draco rolled his eyes, unconvinced. "I need to find you a girlfriend."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Harry hissed, fighting a furious blush that began to erupt over his cheeks. "I don't want a girlfriend. Thanks for the concern."

Draco arched a brow before shrugging. "Boyfriend, then?"

Harry's blush deepened. Thankfully the nurse chose that moment to come in and change their bandages. Harry would take pulsating pain over that conversation any day.

* * *

Harry was more than pleased when he no longer had to share a room with Draco at St. Mungo's. It was easier to ignore him if he wasn't forced to talk to him regularly. Of course there was still the fact that he shared an office with him, had to go on missions with him, and occasionally was forced into uncomfortable small talk. Still, he tried not to think about it. 

Malfoy hadn't brought up his apparent want to get Harry a significant other again, which was both a relief and a worry. Harry had wanted to simply say 'I don't want anyone but you', but that would have been wholly too embarrassing. Plus, he wasn't even entirely sure if he was attracted to Malfoy or simply…appreciated his form.

Okay, so maybe he was.

He slyly looked up at Draco, studying him when he could. At this moment he was engrossed in writing a report, his hair in his eyes as he scribbled furiously. Harry watched him slowly moisten his lips with the tip of his tongue and blushed as the thought of that tongue flicking across his lips crossed his mind. He could feel his cock stirring, and he pressed a palm to it, willing it away.

He always supposed his had a very weak will.

His mind wandered to the notion that Mandy probably thought the same things when she looked at Draco and his erection wilted considerably. A shaky sigh escaped his lips and Draco looked up, catching him staring.

"Plotting my death?" Draco asked, a solitary brow arched.

Harry rolled his eyes and lowered his eyes back to his desk. Damn it all, his bloody cock decided to perk up and pay attention again at the mere sound of Draco's voice. When had this…whatever this is…get so out of control?

Always," he choked out, picking up his quill. "Back to work?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "You know, it's hard to play along with your little game of 'Let's Pretend Neither of Us Exist' when you keep staring a hole through my skull." He lowered his gaze back to the report before adding, "If I really wanted to know what you're thinking I'd just use Occlumency. I know you're a rubbish Legimens."

Fear clouded Harry's mind, but there was an excited jump in his belly at the prospect of Draco actually seeing what was going on inside his head. It would make everything so much easier.

Harry didn't reply, simply began scribbling down a detailed account of the raid. The faintest flashes of burn scars glimmered silver in the light and Harry, no matter how he tried not to, thought of Draco's eyes.

* * *

"Dinner?" 

Harry looked up to find Draco leaning against the wall of their office, next to the rack that held their robes. "What?" Harry asked as he quickly looked back down at his desk.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" Draco asked, as if explaining the concept to a very small child or a very slow adult.

Harry pressed his lips tightly together briefly before replying, "No thank you. I…"

"Mandy won't be there," Draco added, studying Harry's reaction with amusement lighting his eyes. "Nor will she drop by unexpectedly. I promise."

Harry looked up, his eyes dark. "I'll pass."

Draco let out an annoyed sigh. "You don't have to be hostile."

Harry stood quickly, not sure why he was so angry. "And you don't have to tuck your girlfriend away to have your partner over for dinner!"

"She's not…" Draco started, before dropping his hands. "We broke up."

"What?" Harry said in a voice just to the right of a gasp. "When?"

"Right after the acidic book incident," Draco said with a shrug, taking a few steps toward Harry. "She found out that I had her sent away from the hospital. Got a right telling-off for it."

Harry swallowed thickly as Draco came to a halt right in front of him. "Really," he said, for the lack of a better reply. His blood seemed to have abandoned his brain for more pleasurable areas.

Draco hummed as he tilted his head to the side slightly. "She seems convinced that I fancied someone else," he continued, his eyes lingering on Harry's lips briefly before returning to his eyes.

Harry cleared his throat. His entire head felt hot and he knew that he was blushing. The small smirk on Draco's face confirmed it. "Do…" Harry squeaked before clearing his throat again, "Do you?"

Draco continued to advance on him, his eyes sparkling in amusement and something darker, more carnal. Harry hit the wall with a thump and Draco wasn't close behind, his chest against Harry's as their hipbones knocked together sharply.

Suddenly his lips were on Harry's neck, kiss and sucking and _biting_. It was the moment he felt Draco's erection brush against his own that the other man pulled away, his lips red and swollen and his gaze hooded. His gaze flickered over Harry's face before he smiled slowly.

"Dinner?"

Harry nodded quickly, and Draco gathered his cloak. "Half-eight."

* * *

In retrospect, if Harry had known that he was going to be bodily attacked the moment the door to Malfoy Manor was opened, he would have eaten dinner before he came. 

Then again, as Draco relieved him of his trousers and lifted him up so Harry could wrap his legs around his waist, he was quite sure that dinner was the last thing on his mind.

-edited scene-

Draco thrust into him hard once, twice, and he was coming, a torn 'Harry' escaping his lips. Harry slipped down the wall enough to capture Draco's lips in a kiss, their first kiss, and as his tongue breached Harry's lips he, too, came.

His legs fell limply from around Draco's waist and he just kept sliding down the wall, Draco going with him. Harry sighed as he kissed Draco again, more slowly. They kissed until Harry's head was spinning and he was in dire need of a breath.

He let his head fall against the wall as Draco wriggled his way between his splayed legs, laying his head on Harry's chest as he wiped at the come that splattered his white button-down shirt.

"That answers my question, I suppose," Harry said, trying his best to hold back a chuckle but finding that he couldn't.

"As if the love bite earlier didn't," Draco replied as he finally just took off the shirt. "Can we have a shower before we have dinner? I hadn't quite planned…" he made a vague hand gesture.

Harry continued to chuckle as he nodded. "Shower, than dinner."

Draco stood, naked and beautiful, before holding out a hand for Harry.

Harry took it as he tried to remember how to breathe. He had a feeling that he would be having that problem much more frequently.

* * *

**The End

* * *

**

_Full version of this story can be found on my LJ._


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